Method and device for the performance of a function by a microcircuit

Abstract

A method for the performance of a function by a microcircuit, includes: at least one step of determining ( 205 ) whether an anomaly is detected or whether the operation of the microcircuit is normal; when it is determined that an anomaly is detected, a step of performing ( 210 ) a protection function; when it is determined that the operation of the microcircuit is normal, a step of performing ( 215 ) a decoy function simulating the protection function by being perceptible, from the outside of the microcircuit, in a manner more or less identical to the protection function; the method being characterized in that it includes an interruption ( 250 ) of the performance of the decoy function by a timer.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the performance of a function by a microcircuit, the method comprising:
 determining whether an anomaly is detected or whether the operation of the microcircuit is normal; 
 when it is determined that an anomaly is detected, performing a protection function; 
 when it is determined that the operation of the microcircuit is normal, performing a decoy function simulating the protection function by being perceptible, from the outside of the microcircuit, in a manner identical to the protection function, the decoy function having a performance duration; and 
 interrupting the performance of the decoy function by a timer prior to an end of the performance duration of the decoy function. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the decoy function has a power consumption approximately identical to that of the protection function, or the decoy function has an electromagnetic radiation approximately identical to that of the protection function. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the protection function includes access to a first area of a non-volatile memory, and
 the decoy function includes an access to a second area of the non-volatile memory different from the first area. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the protection function includes access to a first area of a non-volatile memory, and
 the decoy function includes an access to a second area of the non-volatile memory different from the first area. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the protection function includes a command to write a predetermined datum to the first area of the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the execution of the write commands of the protection function or the decoy function implements an algorithm differing from that of the commands to write to the non-volatile memory, carried out during the normal operation of the microcircuit. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the write commands does not entail the use of any check datum. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the write commands does not include the rereading of the written datum. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the write commands does not include the erasure of the write area. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the decoy function includes a command to write to the second area of the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the decoy function includes a command to write to the second area of the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the timer interrupts the execution of the write command of the decoy function. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the execution of the write commands of the protection function or the decoy function implements an algorithm differing from that of the commands to write to the non-volatile memory, carried out during the normal operation of the microcircuit. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the execution of the write commands of the protection function or the decoy function implements an algorithm differing from that of the commands to write to the non-volatile memory, carried out during the normal operation of the microcircuit. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 starting the timer, 
 expiring the timer, and 
 on expiry of the timer, executing a command to interrupt the performance of the decoy function. 
 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the protection function is a function of disabling the microcircuit. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions to cause a microprocessor to execute a method comprising:
 determining whether an anomaly is detected or whether the operation of the microcircuit is normal; 
 when it is determined that an anomaly is detected, performing a protection function; 
 when it is determined that the operation of the microcircuit is normal, performing a decoy function simulating the protection function by being perceptible, from the outside of the microcircuit, in a manner identical to the protection function, the decoy function having a performance duration; and 
 interrupting the performance of the decoy function by a timer prior to an end of the performance duration of the decoy function. 
 
     
     
       18. A device for the performance of a function by a microcircuit, the device comprising:
 means for determining whether an anomaly is detected or whether the operation of the microcircuit is normal; and 
 a monitoring system configured to:
 when it is determined that an anomaly is detected, perform a protection function; 
 when it is determined that the operation of the microcircuit is normal, perform a decoy function simulating the protection function by being perceptible, from the outside of the microcircuit, in a manner identical to the protection function, the decoy function having a performance duration; and 
 use a timer in order to interrupt the performance of the decoy function prior to an end of the performance duration of the decoy function.